8 Truths From a Trauma Therapist About Breathwork

Have you ever wondered what a trauma therapist really thinks about breathwork and why this simple practice can have such a profound impact on your nervous system and emotional resilience?

Breathwork isn’t just a relaxation technique; when guided with trauma awareness, it becomes a powerful tool for healing, regulation, and clarity. In this Calmfidence World feature, we uncover eight insights from a trauma therapist about how breathwork supports leaders in releasing tension, calming the mind, and reconnecting with inner stability and confidence.

Written by Jatty Sohal-Heyn, Trauma-Informed Somatic Therapist & Calmfidence Council Contributor

As a trauma therapist, I work with people who carry more than just stories from their past — they carry the physical imprint of stress and survival in their nervous systems. And while therapy, reflection, and support are essential, there’s one tool I’ve seen quietly shift everything: breathwork.

You might be thinking, “Breathing? I already do that.”Yes, we all do. But how we breathe matters — especially for those leading others, managing stress, and holding space for big decisions.

The healing power of breath is not new. Yogis, shamans, and healers have used it for millennia to clear emotional blockages, enhance vitality, and access altered states of consciousness.

What’s new is how modern neuroscience and somatic psychology are confirming what ancient traditions already knew:

Your breath shapes your biology. And your biology shapes your emotional reality.

When life pushes us into overdrive, our nervous system can get stuck in survival mode. We stay wired. Alert. Disconnected. Breathwork helps us return — to calm, to clarity, to the present moment.

Breathwork isn’t about performing. It invites us back into our bodies and gives us a way to regulate from within.

We often rewards speed and reactivity, so conscious breathing is a choice to lead from calm, not chaos.

You carry your breath everywhere. It’s time to let it carry you.

Through conscious, guided breathing, we activate the parasympathetic nervous system, the part of the body responsible for rest, repair, and restoration. And that changes everything.

For leaders, this isn’t just about relaxing, it’s about restoring clarity, agency, and capacity.

Many people are stuck in “survival mode,” learning to breathe with awareness can bring us back to life. One inhale, one exhale at a time.

So if you’ve been running on empty, feeling reactive, or noticing tension that won’t go away, here are eight reasons why breathwork deserves a regular place in your leadership rhythm.

Breathwork is a personal toolkit

1. It resets the nervous system

Trauma, pressure, and long-term stress all activate our sympathetic nervous system — the fight, flight, or freeze response. Conscious breathing activates the parasympathetic system instead: the part responsible for rest, digestion, and repair.

2. It brings you into the present

When thoughts race or emotions spiral, breath brings you back. A few intentional cycles of breathing can interrupt mental overload and reconnect you with what’s actually happening now — not just what your mind is projecting.

3. It helps you feel safe in your own body

Many leaders live in their heads, disconnected from physical sensation. Breath anchors you back in your body and cultivates internal safety — an essential foundation for trust, clarity, and calm decision-making.

4. It reduces anxiety and tension

Shallow breathing keeps the body in a subtle state of stress. Deeper, more conscious breath signals to your system that you’re safe — which reduces muscle tension, lowers stress hormones, and quiets anxious energy.

5. It supports emotional regulation

Leading often means holding space for others. But if your own system is dysregulated, that becomes hard. Breathwork offers a way to pause, soften, and respond from a more grounded place — even in tough moments.

6. It improves mental focus

When your breath is slow and steady, your mind tends to follow. Breathwork isn’t just a stress tool — it’s a performance tool. It sharpens focus, improves memory, and helps you show up fully present.

7. It strengthens physical resilience

Deep breathing increases oxygen supply, supports organ function, and balances the stress-hormone system. Over time, it helps reduce inflammation, improves immunity, and supports the body in recovering from chronic tension.

8. It’s always available to you

Unlike complex routines or tools that rely on technology or time, breathwork is portable. It’s free. It’s immediate. And it’s yours — whenever you choose to use it. That alone makes it one of the most underrated leadership tools around.

Breathwork isn’t a magic fix. But it is a powerful companion. It helps you self-regulate. It builds inner safety. It supports resilience, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

Let’s breathe this in

Breathwork is not a standalone cure. But it is a powerful entry point, especially for those who are used to holding it all together.

Whether you are beginning your trauma healing journey or deepening your practice, I encourage you to explore the breath, not as a performance, but as a partnership. One that reconnects you to your body, your resilience, and your calmfidence.

Success means little if your system is stuck in overdrive. Leadership asks a lot of you. So does healing. Breathwork helps with both.

When practiced with safety and intention, it can become one of the most empowering resources for trauma integration, nervous system balance, and everyday wellbeing.

Breathwork isn’t about perfection or performance. It’s about regulation and learning how to meet intensity with clarity. Every leader can benefit from that.

Trauma and the Breath: What Happens in the Body?

When we experience trauma, our nervous system often gets stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses. This isn’t just emotional; it’s physiological. Our breathing becomes shallow, rapid, or even restricted, mirroring the survival instinct to conserve energy or prepare for danger.

Over time, this dysregulated pattern of breathing can become chronic, contributing to:

• Anxiety and panic attacks

• Sleep disturbances and fatigue

• Digestive dysfunction

• Muscular tension and pain

• Weakened immunity

In fact, research published in Neuropsychopharmacology (2018) shows that trauma-related overactivation of the sympathetic nervous system alters the body's ability to return to baseline after stress.

That’s why breathwork is so powerful: it directly stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system—our rest, digest, and restore state.

Breathwork as a Somatic Practice for Healing

Breathwork refers to intentional, conscious breathing techniques designed to influence our mental, emotional, and physical states. There are many styles—from gentle diaphragmatic breathing to activating circular breath patterns—but when used in a trauma-informed way, the goal is always the same: regulation, reconnection, and release.

What Happens When We Breathe Consciously?

On a Physical Level:

• Deep breathing increases oxygenation, improving organ function and cellular health

• Stimulates the vagus nerve, enhancing heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of nervous system resilience

• Reduces cortisol and inflammation (Jerath et al., Medical Hypotheses, 2006)

• Supports digestion and muscle relaxation by shifting from sympathetic to parasympathetic dominance

On a Psychological Level:

• Anchors us in the present moment, interrupting the cycle of ruminating thoughts

• Creates a felt sense of inner safety, especially for trauma survivors who feel disconnected from their bodies

• Helps rewire emotional responses by offering a way to consciously down-regulate distress

• Increases alpha brainwaves, associated with calm, creativity, and clarity

Dr. Patricia Gerbarg and Dr. Richard Brown, pioneers in integrative psychiatry, have found that simple breath practices such as coherent breathing (5-6 breaths per minute) significantly reduce symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression (Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2013).

Breath as a Portal to Embodied Empowerment

One of the most profound outcomes I’ve seen in my practice is how clients begin to reclaim agency through breath. Trauma often leaves us feeling powerless—but breathwork teaches that you can regulate your inner world, no matter the outer circumstances.

In my MSBC Organic Healing Method, breathwork is woven into sessions alongside somatic movement, energetic alignment, and trauma-informed dialogue. I also incorporate breath into Sauna Yoga, where the warmth of the space enhances body awareness and helps release tension stored deep in the fascia and cellular memory.

Cautions and Considerations for Trauma Survivors

While breathwork offers immense potential, it must be introduced gently and mindfully, especially for individuals with complex or developmental trauma. Some breathing styles (e.g. holotropic, rebirthing) can be too activating and may trigger re-traumatisation if not properly guided.

A trauma-informed approach respects:

• Choice and consent

• Slow pacing and titration

• Grounding before and after breath sessions

• Awareness of dissociation or hyperventilation risks

This is why it’s crucial to work with a trained facilitator who understands trauma physiology and can co-regulate the experience.

Selected Sources & Research:

• Jerath, R. et al. (2006). Physiology of long pranayamic breathing: Neural respiratory elements may provide a mechanism that explains how slow deep breathing shifts the autonomic nervous system. Medical Hypotheses

• Gerbarg, P.L. & Brown, R.P. (2013). Yoga breathing for anxiety, depression, and PTSD. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine

• van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score

• Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory

• Arch, J.J. & Craske, M.G. (2006). Mechanisms of mindfulness: Emotion regulation following a focused breathing induction. Behaviour Research and Therapy

About the Author

Jatty Sohal-Heyn is a trauma-informed somatic therapist and founder of the MSBC “Organic Healing” Method—a body-based approach that blends breathwork, movement, water therapy, and energetic alignment to release trauma stored in the body’s cellular memory.

She offers private sessions, spa collaborations, and international retreats focused on cellular resilience and embodied healing.

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To experience the power of cellular resilience through breath, movement, and presence connect with Jatty

FAQ — Breathwork, Leadership & Nervous System Mastery

Why is breathwork considered essential for leaders today?  Conscious breathing restores nervous system balance, improves clarity, and helps leaders manage pressure without losing composure. In fast-paced decision-making environments, breathwork acts as an anchor to calm under stress and sustain emotional intelligence.

How does breathwork differ from ordinary deep breathing?

Breathwork involves deliberate, rhythmic patterns that influence both the body and mind. Unlike casual deep breaths, structured breathwork activates specific physiological responses — reducing cortisol, lowering heart rate, and heightening presence.

Can breathwork release stored emotional or trauma responses?

Yes. Controlled breathing helps the body process suppressed emotions and reset chronic stress responses. Under proper guidance, this creates integration rather than overwhelm — a principle trauma-informed therapists emphasise for safe practice.

How can leaders integrate breathwork into a demanding schedule?

Micro-practices work best: three calm breaths before a meeting, nasal breathing during presentations, or brief grounding at day’s end. Small, consistent rituals build long-term nervous system resilience and Calmfident presence.

Is it necessary to work with a facilitator or therapist to begin?

 Beginners can safely explore gentle techniques such as box or coherent breathing. However, when trauma or chronic anxiety is present, a trauma-trained facilitator ensures that the process remains stabilising rather than triggering.

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